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Why do you pick just that particular travel destination? Sometimes there may only be one reason to go to a specific airport or to travel between several; The airport codes. I have looked at some of the best three letter abbreviations. And combinations thereof. The International Air Transport Association administer the almost 9500 IATA codes that are used to easily identify the location of airports and that you can see on checked-in luggage and some websites that sell flight tickets. Some of these codes make for amusing reading alone or in combination with others. Yes, I do admit to being a total airport nerd. Then again, I have been to a couple. And I insist that travellers kiss better. There are of course some that fit in well with the aviation industry. AIR, BUS (Aripuana, Brazil; Batum Georgia) BOE, ING (Boundji, Republic of the Congo; Lago Argentina, Argentina) FLY, ING (La Guaira, Venezuela; Lago Argentina) FOK, KER (Suffolk County, USA; Kerman, Iran) People are certainly not left out. How about the following line-up? MRS, MOM, DAD, SON, BRO, BOY, SIS, KID, DOC, COU, SIN (Marseille, France; Moudjeria, Mauritania; Da Nang, Vietnam; Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu; Brownsville, USA; Borgo, Burkina Faso; Sishen, South Africa; Kristianstad, Sweden; Dornoch, UK; Columbia, USA; Singapore) Animals are of course represented. APE, BAT, BEE, BUG, CAT, COD, COW, DOG, LEO, PIG. (San Juan Aposento, Peru; Barretos, Brazil; Beagle Bay, Australia; Benguela, Angola; New Bight, Bahamas; Yellowstone, USA; Coquimbo, Chile; Dongola, Sudan; Leconi, Gabon; Pitinga, Brazil) So is food and drinks. ALE, BBQ, BUD, BUN, EAT, JAM, PIE, TEA (Alpine, USA; Barbuda, Antigua and Barbuda; Budapest, Hungary; Buenaventura, Colombia; Wenatchee, USA; Jambol, Bulgaria; St. Petersburg, USA; Tela, Honduras) And then there are some airport codes that are just fun, strange or head shaking. ATM, BAD, BOO, BUM, CIA, FAT, FAQ, HOT, FUN, KGB, LOL, OMG, PEE, POO, LUV, SEX, THE, WOW (Altamira, Brazil; Barksdale, USA; Bodø, Norway; Butler, USA; Ciampino, Italy; Fresno, USA; Freida River, Papua New Guinea; Hot Springs, USA; Funafuti, Tuvalu; Konge, Papua New Guinea;Derby Field, USA; Omega, Namibia; Perm, Russia; Pocos de Caldas, Brazil; Langgur, Indonesia; Sembach, Germany; Teresina, Brazil; Willow, USA) Sometimes there are stretches that you may or may not want to travel: COP-KIL-LER (Cooperstown, USA; Kilwa, DRC; Leinster, Australia) FRA-NCE (Frankfurt – Nice) HOT-DOG (Hot Springs, USA – Dongola, Sudan) IAM-SEX-COD (In Amenas, Algeria – Sembach, Germany – Yellowstonem, USA) ILO-VEY-OUA-LOT (Iloilo, Philippines – Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland – Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso – Lewis Lockport, USA) MAD-COW-DIS-EZE (Madrid – Coquimbo, Chile – Loubomo, Republic of the Congo – Buenos Aires) NOR-WAY (Nordfjordur, Iceland – Greene County, USA) SIN-FUL (Singapore – Fullerton, USA) THE-FAT-BUM (Teresina, Brazil – Fresno, USA – Butler, USA) TIC-TAC (Tinac Island, Marshall Island – Tacloban, Philippines) Of course, the combination of codes don’t get real far out or head shaking until they are put together into rather specific and complicated itineraries. FLY-ING-CAN-NOT-BEB-EAT-ENB-YAN-YTH-ING-ITI-SRE-ALC-OOL (Finley, Australia – Lago Argentino, Argentina – Guangzhou, China – Novato, USA – Benbecula, United Kingdom – Wenatchee, USA – Eneabba West, Australia – Yangambi, Democratic Republic of the Congo – Thompson, Canada – Lago Argentina – Itambacuri, Brazil – Sucre, Bolivia – Alicante, Spain – Coolangatta, Australia) WHO-DOU-WAN-TTO-TRA-VEL-TON-ORW-AYW-ITH ? (Franz Josef, New Zealand – Dourados, Brasil – Waverney, Australia – Britton, USA – Tarama, Japan – Vernal, USA – Tonu, Papua New Guinea – Ormara, Pakistan – Ayawasi, Indonesia – Tompkins County, USA) And finally, my favourite air itinerary: GUN-NAR-GAR-FOR-SIN-THE-AIR (Gunter, USA – Nare, Colombia – Garaina, Papa New Guinea – Pinto Martins, Brazil – Singapore – Teresina, Brazil – Aripuana, Brazil) I’ll leave it at that. Which funny airport codes or combinations did I miss? You can search here. While I am at it, a few other airport related stories Truly international airports sprawling more than one country. The world’s busiest air route is in…Korea. How to book cheap plane tickets. Just another 20 travel tips. The article first appeared on TerminalU.com, a website specializing in aviation news. It has later closed down.

My deadline was February 5, and I managed to meet it with 7 hours to spare. The end result consists of stories from my travels all 198 countries of the world, categorized in 21 themes such as food, drinking, the -stan countries, island hopping, love (?) and troubles. My Norwegian editor, Bente Riise of Samlaget, now has to struggle to get through 316 pages. That is 148,455 words or 690,213 characters. That means that my average word length is 4.65 letters. As if anyone cares. Then again, Bente has to. Poor editor! I have finished writing my book in a number of countries, since December in Greece, Belarus, Norway, the UK, Georgia (the country, not the state), Turkey, Brazil, South Africa, Namibia, the Philippines and Japan. Then again, the book has of course been researched and written in every one of the 198 countries. I don’t know if that is a first, but there sure cannot be many authors that can claim the same. And yes, it does come recommended. My brother Øystein and our friend Torgeir Halvorsen came to meet me in the Namibian desert to help finalize the book and they provided invaluable input. The work is still far from over. The publisher and I will have to create the front and back covers, agree on the design and probably rewrite what has been written so far. More than once, I suspect. This is, after all, my first book. And maybe my last. All I know is that the final version of this book will not contain 148,455 words. Maybe more, maybe fewer. The book is due for release in Norway in September. I am also in talks with regards to other language versions, including English and Portugese, but no deals for those have yet been agreed. Do get in touch if you are interested. This website had one million hits in 2013. 97% of them were from outside Norway. I write about media in addition to travel, travel stories are still more popular by far! garfors.com is most popular in the following countries, according to IP addresses: USA: 44% of readers United Kingdom: 8% Canada 6% Norway: 3% Australia: 3% Hungary: 2% India: 2% Brazil: 2% Germany: 2% China: 1% Other countries combined: 28%

The Olympic winter games will soon come to Sochi in Russia and thousands and thousands of people will be visiting. But the trip doesn’t need to be only about winter sports. Why not combine your sports trip with a visit to break-our republic Abkhazia, only 140 kilometers away? Not heard about it? Well, it is only recognized by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Tuvalu and Nauru. The two latter tiny nations have presumably done so in exchange for money. Three other not widely recognized republics, namely South Ossetia, Transnistria and Nagorno-Karabakh have also recognized Abkhazia. The wannabe country is officially a part of Georgia, but is desperately seeking sovereignty. It seems unlikely that they will get it any time soon, despite a newly signed trade deal with Russia. The trade deal isn’t all that good, though. The border between Russia and Abkhazia will allegedly be closed or partly closed during the Olympics, so you will have to go to Abkhazia before or after the games as trains and buses will stop running. You may still be able to hitch a ride with a Russian registered vehicle or just walk across the border. To walk is not a problem, given that they will let you in. You’ll just get a ride to the border, walk across and get another ride on the other side. A standard border crossing procedure between certain countries. Eurasianet‘s news report on the matter is a little blurry. Abkhazia is located between the Caucasus mountain range and The Black Sea, which means a diverse and beautiful scenery. It is not particularly tricky to get a visa to enter either. All you do is fill out an application and send it via email together with a scanned version of your passport. You will receive a visa letter a few days later. This needs to be printed out and carried with you to the border. An electronic version of that letter will not do. I found that out the hard way and had to return to Zugdidi in Georgia to print out the letter. The letter that I had actually received electronically via email. To find anywhere there with a printer was however nearly impossible on January 1 in the Georgian town. I had to stay in Zugdidi an extra night to find a currency exchange shop that actually had a printer. Neither the two hotels, the couple of bars, the internet cafes, the pharmacies nor any other open shops could provide me with a bloody printer. Oh well, Zugdidi is certainly a happening town, so a night there was pure bliss. Just for the record, the last sentence was of the ironic type. Upon producing a printed version of the visa letter, entrance was granted in a matter of minutes. Not until yet again having walked a kilometer from where the taxi let me off on the Georgian side of the border. The last 500 meters across an old river bridge in dire need of repair. Horses pulling carriages transport lazy people and goods the 1000 meters or so, but it is faster to walk. My backup plans included wading across the river, but I luckily managed to talk my way out of the country. No surprise, I had after all become friendly with the border guards after two previous visits. Then again, I would normally have been refused exit from the country due to the lack of my visa stamp and been ordered to return to Sukhumi. But why go to Abkhazia in the first place? First of all, this is a place virtually no one has visited. Bragging rights guaranteed, just don’t expect people to be able to The town itself is also photography heaven. It is like time stood still. All the old Sovjet style buildings will make you want to walk around for hours. The lack of maintenance clearly proves that communism won’t work in real life. If no one owns them, who the hell will take responsibility for keeping them in shape? You should also venture outside town to see Novi Afon, a Christian Orthodox cathedral, 20 minutes from the capital. The building itself is nice enough, but the real reason to go is the attached cave with Do remember to bring rubles into the country. You will need it for transportation. Georgian Lari or US Dollars are not accepted, and no hotels or restaurants accept credit cards. You can exchange money in the banks or from certain shop owners, but the latter won’t win any awards for their exchange rates. There are two ATMs in Sukhumi, though, and they now accept foreign cards. And just for the record. Abkhazia feels totally safe. I would not have any second thoughts about going there again. For Abkhazian news, comments and analysises, do visit Abkhaz World.

Where should you go to find inspiration, to, say smoke? Presumably to the country where they finish more cigarettes than in any other. But where would that be? There are lists of how many cigarettes an average adult smokes in different countries, but that list needs to be combined with the percentage of smokers in the same countries to find the real answer. Let’s look to Wikipedia. Serbia can brag about seeing the higest number of cigarettes smoked per adult per year (2,861). Then it turns out that “only” 42.3% of Serbians smoke. That means that every smoker finishes 6,763 cigarettes a year, or 18.5 cigarettes every single day. But are Serbians really on top of the combined list? Bulgaria, Greece, Russia and Moldova are not far behind in terms of cigarettes smoked per adult, and can easily pass Serbia if they have fewer smokers. Let’s look at the top 15. Serbia 2,861 cigarettes Bulgaria 2,822 cigarettes Greece 2,795 cigarettes Russia 2,786 cigarettes Moldova 2,479 cigarettes Ukraine 2,401 cigarettes Slovenia 2,369 cigarettes Bosnia and Herzegovina 2,278 cigarettes Belarus 2,266 cigarettes Montenegro 2,157 cigarettes Lebanon 2,138 cigarettes Czech Republic 2,125 cigarettes South Korea 1,958 cigarettes Republic of Macedonia 1,934 cigarettes Kazakhstan 1,934 cigarettes Norway 534 cigarettes Wikipedia’s full list. It turns out that fewer Bulgarians than Serbians smoke, so those who do actually outsmoke the Serbs, by far. Let’s look at the same list, adjusted for the percentage of smokers in the same 15 countries. I have assumed that there are 50% of each gender. Serbia has suddenly been passed by four countries and is far from the crown. The heaviest smokers in the world smoke no less than 9,608 cigarettes per year. That is over 26 cigs a day! And the winner is… Moldova. Surprised? Moldova is coincidentally also the country where people drink the most. I hereby declare Moldova the happiest country in the world. I mean, they can’t really have time to do much but party. Possibly unhealthy, but the life expectancy of the people there is still 71 years. Japan is on top with 83. Slovenia, Bulgaria and Kazakhstan also slipped past Serbia, as showed below. Moldova 25.8% = 9,608 cigarettes per smoker Slovenia 26.45% = 8,956 cigarettes per smoker Bulgaria 37.65% = 7,495 cigarettes per smoker Kazakhstan 26.45% = 7,311 cigarettes per smoker Serbia 42.3% = 6,763 cigarettes per smoker (as many women as men smoke in this country) Czech Republic 31% = 6,854 cigarettes per smoker South Korea 29.5% = 6,637 cigarettes per smoker (only 5.7% of women smoke) Lebanon 36.45% = 5,865 cigarettes per smoker (stats from nationmaster.com) Russia 48.3% = 5,768 cigarettes per smoker (70.1% of men smoke, the highest in the world) Ukraine 43.25% = 5,551 cigarettes per smoker Greece 51.7% = 5,406 cigarettes per smoker Bosnia and Herzegovina 42.2% = 5,398 cigarettes per smoker Republic of Macedonia 36% = 5,372 cigarettes per smoker (stats from nationmaster.com) Belarus 42.4% = 5,344 cigarettes per smoker Montenegro 40.8% = 5,286 sigarettes per smoker (stats from nationmaster.com) Norway 32% = 1,668 cigarettes per smoker Do note that the error margins in Wikipedia’s raw material are high in some countries. A pack of twenties is luckily (or unuckily, depending on your perspective) cheaper in Moldova than in Norway. One pack will cost you 1.5 USD there, while it will set you back over ten times as much in Norway. The price here is 15.8 USD, which is the second highest in the world. Only Australia is more expensive with 17.7 USD per pack, according to cigaretteprices.net. The cheapest? Gambia with a price of only 0.8 USD per pack. An average Norwegian smoker will have to pay 1,317 USD per year for the habit while the Moldovan peer, who smokes more than anyone, will have to pay only 720 USD for his. Possibly unfair, but perhaps with some benefits. You might not really have been looking for inspiration to smoke after all. How about a Flying Horse, Double Happiness or Panda? If not even innovative brand names of cigarettes in China will change that, I presume that you will stay a non-smoker forever. Well done! It’ll save you some money and presumably a couple of health problems.

So, it is official. Brazil has gone mad. Not only will the country with the financially challenged economy host both the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016, the government will now also give citizens up to four weeks of holiday during the World Cup! Imagine the cost to the economy of that. The federal government has declared general law (The Law of World Cup, Article 56) and passed on the power to decide on the extent of the holiday during the World Cup to each and every state (there are twenty-six states (estado) and one federal distric (distrito federal)), according to the newspaper Globo. Some of the states (Rio Grande do Norte, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo) have already decided to give citizens the full month as holiday, except for two working days. Other states have yet to decide. And I can only guess that workers elsewhere will demand the same. – Mom, he got candy. I want some too! Simple psychology, really. The text of the law doesn’t even limit the power to declare holidays to the states. As it says in the law, according to Google translate, “The Union, the States, the Federal District and the Municipalities that will host events may declare holidays the days of its occurrence in its territory”. Four bodies of government? That is pretty much anyone. It ought to be an easy decision for a governor or a mayor who wants a little bit of short-lived World Cup glory. And they already have 30 days holiday. Plus… The normal holiday in Brazil is already a hefty 30 working days. Plus (yes, there is even a plus) religious holidays! Then again, if you are to define anything as religion in this country, it’s got to be football. I am surprised that the Jesus statue overlooking Rio hasn’t been replaced by one of Pele. It may only be a matter of time. I almost forgot. There’s even one more plus. Additional non-religious holidays. Maybe I should move to Brazil… 18 extra days off is a 60% increase. I’d be pretty happy being an employee. I’d be rather mad if I were an employer. Then again, I might not be happy for long as an employee. The risk is that the employer will go bankrupt. The Brazilian economy is already in trouble. The football (read as soccer, dear American friends) competition which takes place from June 12 to July 13 next year is estimated to cost 15 billion USD! But the organizers are in a hurry, and the government is desperate to not have everything go smoothly. Or the Olympic summer games two years later may be in jeopardy too. So the price tag will probably increase a lot, due to a lack of time. You won’t exactly have time to release tenders or arrange bidding contests. Any chance of a little bit of FIFA corruption, there? Famous former Brazilian national footballer Romario certainly calls faul play. He even goes as far as calling FIFA President Sepp Blatter “a thief” and secretary general Jerome Valcke “a blackmailer”, accoring to Winnipeg Free Press. “Brazilian authorities shouldn’t trust (Valcke) when signing any deal related to the World Cup”, Ronaldo said. He won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994. He certainly is older, more experienced and far more outspoken now. I doubt that the real books are entirely open when it comes to how infrastructure was built, by whom and how much they charged. How to afford it? The Economist has not yet, to my knowledge, written about sending the entire country away on holiday, but the newspaper is worried about Brazil’s economy in general. “…the country has come back down to earth with a bump.” The Economist states and refers to the fantastic growth of 7.5% in 2010. Last year the economy barely grew at all. By 0.9%. 15 billion USD for a football competition, and much more for the most expensive holiday ever may not be the best of cures. Four years ago one of the newspaper’s artists put a rocket on the Jesus statue in Rio to illustrate economic growth. That rocket may now have misfired. Not many months have passed since hundreds of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets in unprecedented demonstrations. They complained about greed, corruption and services that don’t match the high living costs. President Dilma Rousseff is not the most popular woman in town. I am not sure if giving four weeks of extra holiday is the way to go. Even though the presidential elections are coming up. Coincidentally in October, after the World Cup. So, should you worry about more protests during the World Cup, now when so many people are out on the streets with nothing to do during their holidays? I don’t think the stadiums can hold 200 million people, so there may be some drunk, broke and angry football fans out and about. Well, rest assured. Ricardo Trade, the CEO of the World Cup has asked any potential protesters to not hurt the tourists, according to The Raw Story. I guess you’ll be just fine, then.

How much alcohol do you drink? Not much compared to those who consume the most. Or can you match 18.22 liters of pure alcohol a year? I didn’t think so. Then again, who knows how much alcohol 18.22 liters is, in common terms? Well, it depends on the stregth, but one liter equals approcimately 76 drinks (330ml beer (4% strength), 100ml wine (13% strength) or 33ml liqueur (40% strength)). 18.22 liters is in other words the same as 1,383 beers. That is 27 beers a week or almost 4 beers every day. You feel thirsty yet? The average Norwegian drinks only 43% of that. That is still over 11 beers a week, but quite far behind the heaviest drinkers of them all. The Moldovans. The little country between Romania and Ukraine is one of the poorest in Europe, although I will not dare to say that is the reason for their heavy consumption. They make really good wine, though. Really. So do consider going there for your next wine tour. You have already been to France. Most of the wine is for export, but don’t expect to find it in your local bottle shop. The majority is exported to fellow former Sovjet republics. Czech Republic is number two on the list of heavy consuming country, trailing Moldova by almost two liters per year. Hungary is not far behind in third spot. South Korea You may be surprised to see that there is only one non-European country in the top 26 spots. South Korea secures 13th spot. You can thank or blame soju for that, depending on whether you are a drinker or a doctor. The clear distilled beverage is often consumed with beer. Just keep in mind that there is little that beats soju inflicted hangovers. Allegedly. But enough of South Korea. The next non-European country is Nigeria in 27th. And Norway with its 7.81 liters? The world’s northernmost kingdom is number 74. The official figures from registered sales do in many countries count for less than half of the estimated alcohol consumption. The unrecorded consumption includes home made and smuggled alcohol. It has been calculated using empirical investigations and expert judgments, according to Wikipedia. Do note that Czech Republic is number one in terms of registered consumption, followed by Andorra and Estonia. Moldova is number one when it comes to unrecorded drinking. Moonshine, anyone? And the other end of the list? Yemen and Afghanistan see the lowest consumption by only 0.02 liters per person. All of that is, naturally, unregistered. They seem to make up for it in khat usage, though. Visiting Yemen for New Year’s Eve 2009 was not my best party planning decision ever. Saudi Arabia is also low on the list, but there is surprisingly 0.05 liters of recorded alcohol consumption there. I wonder who in the royal family allowed that. My bet is that a lot of the alcohol in Saudi is being consumed in the British embassy. And possibly in the Moldovan one, of course. The world’s heaviest drinkers, by equivalent liters of pure alcohol Moldova: 18.22 liters Czech Republic: 16.45 liters Hungary: 16.27 liters Russia: 15.76 liters Ukraine: 15.60 liters Estonia: 15.57 liters Andorra: 15.48 liters Romania: 15.30 liters Slovenia: 15.19 liters Belarus: 15.13 liters Croatia: 15.11 liters Lithuania: 15.03 liters South Korea: 14.80 liters (first Asian country) Portugal: 14.55 liters Ireland: 14.41 liters France: 13.66 liters United Kingdom: 13.37 liters (higher level of registered drinking than Denmark) Denmark: 13.37 liters Slovakia: 13.33 liters Poland: 13.25 liters Austria: 13.24 liters Luxembourg: 13.01 liters Germany: 12.81 liters Finland: 12.52 liters Latvia: 12.50 liters Bulgaria: 12.44 liters Nigeria: 12.28 liters (first African country) Uganda: 11.93 liters Saint Lucia: 11.85 liters (first North American country) Spain: 11.62 liters 42. Palau: 10.10 liters (first Oceanian country) 45. Argentina: 10.00 liters (first South American country) 57. USA: 9.44 liters 62. Brazil: 9.16 liters 74. Norway: 7.81 liters Wikipedia lists more countries.

I am currently writing the book about my travels to every country in the world. To write such a book in my flat in Oslo would totally collide with the content. So I won’t. But where should I go? I have 80 days of writing to go. That would just about give me time for a Phileas Fogg, but I also have to work, so that is ruled out. I have however received a writer’s grant from the Norwegian Freedom of Expression Foundation, aka. Fritt Ord. That enables me to to fund six weeks off work, without pay. Being slightly restless, it is unlikely that I will write everything in one place. But how about six spots, with one week in each? There’s always a plane, train or knackered Peugeot 505 bush taxi to transport me in between them all. All I need are inspirational surroundings, the occasional mind-blowing dish and a peaceful balcony with a view. And possibly a bar, should I run into writer’s block. Brown liquer allegedly helps. Or not. But which six places should I go to? I should of course know, following my research around the world, but there are just too many nice places out there. The deadline for the Norwegian version is February 5, and I am in contact with publishers in a few other countries too. You mean you are also interested in publishing the book? Do get in touch, adventurous soul.

What is seemingly the best reason to delay a decisions? By refering to something better, often a technology, that is in the process of being developed. Or at least, in the process of being planned. I hear such lame, or should I say misinformed, excuses way too often. – OK, so the internet can’t reach a million radio listeners at the same time, but we have someone working on it. Yeah, right. Someone is also working on creating peace in the Middle East. That doesn’t mean that they will succeed anytime soon. Unfortunately. Although, as opposed to in the Middle East, there is already a solution. The technology even works perfectly. For distribution of live content, it is called broadcasting. For radio the de facto standard is called DAB+, for mobile TV it is called DMB (both are part of Eureka-147, if you’re really into it). Some people still claim that they can solve everything through 4G, or LTE Broadcast, a technology developed by Ericsson. It is multicast that is based on eMBMS (evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service). Ericsson describe it as “an efficient point-to-multipoint (PMP) distribution feature”. What it means? It means that it is is not real broadcasting. Let’s quote one of their examples: “In an Olympic final, with 10 percent of subscribers watching the 800kbps live video streaming, the traffic payload would have reached more than 250TB. Assuming 30 percent of the viewers were using eMBMS-capable devices and connecting to broadcast channel, there would have been 75TB off-loaded from the network. The saved bandwidth could have been used to provide other telephony or data services, which equals more than 22 billion web page views or more than 800 million song downloads.” To sum up, if you use LTE Broadcast: LTE Broadcast credited offload to the LTE network: 75TB Saved bandwidth: 22 billion web page views How about if you used real broadcasting? DAB+/DMB credited offload to the LTE network: 250TB Saved bandwidth: 73 billion web page views Of course the content would still be distributed, but via a separate broadcasting network that covers much more of a country than LTE ever will. An LTE network would require 38,500 (thirtyeightthousandfivehundred) transmitters to cover the 31,000 square kilometers of the Netherlands, according to TNO. A DAB+ network would require 30 (thirty) transmitters to do the same. Now, imagine a country that is bigger and slightly less flat than Holland. A real broadcasting solution will not cost the MNO any bandwidth, either. The MNO would in other words be capable of providing a lot better internet services to everyone, as the live broadcast would not take away any bandwidth and slow internet services down. Digitalization of radio in Europe and beyond Of course, this isn’t the complete story. European and other broadcasters, with governmental backing, are in the process of performing the biggest transition in radio history; To go from analogue radio via FM to digital radio via DAB+ (of which DMB is also a part of the standard). Robust networks with good coverage have been built, and are being expanded. Coverage of between 90-99.9% is being planned in over 40 countries, and counting. It is not a question whether it can be done via LTE Broadcast, it is about having an independent, reliable and free to air distribution platform that can also be used in emergencies. Radio is extremely important in Europe. Average listening minutes per user per day range from 90 to 310 minutes. Threehundredandten minutes! That is over five hours per day. In The Czech Republic. FM is outdated, costly and restricts competition. Broadcasted radio is in most European countries also the distribution platform for communication in emergencies, as required by governments. DAB+/DMB enables new features that will help in emergencies. For instance can a phone be switched on remotely, or a text message can be sent to everyone even if 3G or LTE networks are down due to massive usage. This is repeatedly demonstrated, as seen after emergencies (i.e. the bombings in Boston and London) or during events such as big sports competitions, on trains or in crowded streets when many people are gathered. So, why not use LTE Broadcast instead? Firstly, broadcasters depend on open standard, independent and free-to-air distribution networks. DAB+ is the standard of choice, and such networks have been built. Also governments depend on the same independent networks, in case of emergencies. Entire populations need to be reached simultaneously, without danger of a network collapse, and independently of which MNO the users are customers of. In the Netherlands as few as 30 DAB+ transmitters will cover the entire country. To do the same with LTE will require 38,500 transmitters according to research institute TNO. No MNO is willing to do take this cost. DAB+ is furthermore the open standard that is being used on 4 continents (Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania). DAB+ comes recommended by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which also calls for a harmonization of FM switch-off across Europe. Distribution networks for the internet are not designed for, nor capable of replacing broadcasting networks as the number of connected devices and the required bandwidth skyrockets. Broadcasting will still work perfectly well in combination with the internet, and opens up for multi-apps that combine the technologies, seamlessly switches between them and introduces new revenue streams while still offloading the internet. Let me give you a list of why LTE and LTE Broadcast cannot replace broadcasting: LTE requires many more transmitters (over 1000 times more) than DAB+ for ~100% coverage. DAB+ has been decided upon as the standard for digital radio in many countries. DMB is a part of DAB+ (Eureka-147). Robust networks with good coverage have been built, and are being expanded. LTE and other telecom networks will not and cannot be built to match the coverage of DAB+. The costs would be too huge.765 DAB+ transmitters are for instance needed to obtain 99.5% coverage in Norway. For LTE? Try closer to a million. Radio must reach “everyone”, typically over 99% of the population in a country. Radio has always been, and must remain, open, accessible and free to air. Also broadcasters have to pay to use telecom networks, including LTE. That means that MNOs will charge both the sender and the receiver of content. Broadcasters are in editorial control of their content, and demand to remain so. Having a gatekeeper acting as an additional editor or censorship manager is limiting democracy and free speech. LTE is controlled by MNOs as was the case with DVB-H. The DVB-H technology proved to be a fiasco. MNOs tried to control mobile broadcasting with no or little cooperation with broadcasters. LTE and other telecom networks are not free to air. Digital radio will not be consumed only through phones. It is unlikely that LTE will be installed in kitchen radios, car stereos and other receivers that are not “controlled” by MNOs. It doesn’t make financial sense to air the same content via LTE when it is already being broadcasted live via digital radio. Double distribution is costly and unnecessary. Radio is the preferred distribution network of many governments in case of emergencies. An LTE or any telecom network is in danger of going down in case of extreme usage (emergencies or crowded places). To have a separate distribution network is key, also in case of emergencies. Always have a backup. Don’t put all eggs in one basket. Internet distribution can “easily” be hacked. To take down a broadcasting network is a much bigger operation and typically involves dynamite or bombs. Distributing a wide range of radio channels via LTE will reduce available bandwidth for ordinary internet services, and consume most of the data traffic in your contract with an MNO. It would also cost the world, if it was even possible. LTE requires more power than broadcasting both on the transmitter side and on the receiver side. A test performed on a Samsung S3 in Norway shows that broadcasted radio gave 7 times longer battery time than streamed radio. DAB+ is a more robust technology, something experiences when the receiver travels at high speeds (cars, buses, trains or even planes). The number of connected devices is projected to skyrocket from 5 billion in 2012 to 50 billion in 2020 – a lot of the increase is due to M2M communication. (Source: Intel). Data transportation is expected to increase 68 times by 2026. (Source: Business Analytix). Huge amounts of data are being transported through broadcasting. To move this to the internet would greatly reduce user experiences and QoS for any other service. The combination of DAB+ and LTE does however open up great possibilities. The combination opens up for new and innovative services and for increased revenues. On a related note, The Independent claims that FM switch-off in Britain is likely to happen early 2018.

Sweden is one of the countries that is now planning for an FM switch-off. Because FM is way passed its due date. But also because the internet cannot and will not deliver radio to everyone. Says who? Says Teracom, the main network provider in Sweden. They have released calculations that show that all radio listening in Sweden would amount to 190,000 Terabyte per year if it were to be streamed, which means distributed via the internet. That is more data than what was carried across all four mobile networks in Sweden in 2012 (they carried 176,000 Terabyte between them last year). The cost? The networks would not be able to deliver this, but let’s talk hypothetically. All radio listening in Sweden would cost 7.6 billion SEK (880 million Euro) per year. Given a price of 40SEK (4.6 EUR) per Gigabyte. How much is that in common language? That means approximately 1,000 SEK (115 EUR) per average listener per year. To listen to the radio, which is currently free. Would you pay that much for radio? A typical Swedein 2012 listened to the radio for almost 200 minutes per day. That is a slight increase from 190 the previous year, according to SR. Do you need more reasons or background information? Why remaining on FM is more expensive than building DAB from scratch. Broadcasting 7 times greener than streaming. DAB vs FM coverage. The real cost of DAB. The FM bets are on.

I never travel with anything but hand luggage, as long as I can help it. And I most often can, even when going away for a week. Or fifteen. Let me just add that I don’t usually smell, either. Not much, anyway. I just pack smart, and only what I need. What I need includes washing powder. Plus soap, my toothbrush and a deodorant. And what else? Not much, as it all has to fit into my 35 liter big backpack. And of course I still like to keep some space available. I might always run into that irresistible carved Tin Tin figure in Ivory Coast, quality junk in Sierra Leone or those good luck generating wooden penises, now available as souvenirs, in Bhutan. This way of packing works for short weekend trips, for visits to five continents in a day or in order to explore all countries in the world. Do note that I more often than not travel to explore and to experience. I do not stay in the same place for long periods of time, and I rarely go to only one location. I need to be flexible, and I refuse to let a big suitcase stand between me and that exciting but impulsive offer of joining on a voyage to the next village, through a forest, over mountain or across a lake. If you prefer the travel to a hotel, stay there for your entire holiday and return home kind of holiday style, you may want to consider a different packing approcah. I typically pack the following when travelling in a relatively warm climate (for winter trips, upgrade to warmer variants of the clothing and shoes below): Wearables I am not going to tell you what to wear, I am just going to advice on what you can get away with and still remain comfortable and clean. If you are a girl, you may want some accessories as well. Innovative combinations of items like scarfs, earrings and necklaces can make a few outfits seem like many. Just remember that you can usually buy a lot of this cheap, locally. (I just realised that I am recommending on what girls should wear. This is something which is lightyears from my areas of core competence. Please accept my humble apologies.) Packing too few clothes is rarely a bad thing, either. That gives you an excuse to buy new clothes, often even cheaper than back home, and most likely different to what you find at your local shopping center. Dare stand out. 3 boxers (aka. underpants) 3 pairs of socks, 1-2 of them short legged 1 pair of football shorts (for jogging and swimming) 1 pair of combination trousers, with removable legs (the trousers must be lightweight and come with zippable pockets for safer storage of passport, money, wallet and mobile phone) 2 T-shirts 1 shirt 1 sweater 1 pair of sandals or flip-flops 1 pair of superlight jogging shoes Anything can be stolen, but this The following items are always on my body (in zippable pockets or in inner pockets of my suit jacket) or safely locked away in a safe, in a reception or with a host or friend that you trust. Passport Wallet Mobile phone Old fashioned piece of paper with addresses, phone numbers, booking numbers, itinerary, currency exchange rates, etc. written down Cash (it is still king in many places) Miscellaneous No backpack or suitcase has been packed properly without these various items. The list may seem long, but the objects on it are all small and can be kept permanently in your backpack. Doing so makes it easier to travel on short notice. Toothbrush Razor Nail cutter Ear plugs (you thought every hotel was soundproofed?) Travel towel (not as nice as the big one at home, but it is lighter, smaller and dries faster) Charger(s) for your phone and/or other gadgets Adapter (for the right country/-ies or a world adapter which will work in most of them) Two pens (there are forms to fill out, contact details to share, etc. – one as a backup) Portion bags of washing powder (you can usually buy this anywhere, but bring some just in case) Deodorant (unless it is liquid, then it needs to go in toiletries, see below) Band aid (you never know) Imodium tablets or similar (especially if going to India – these pills will block you up) Condoms (you’re probably not interested in getting, or passing on, unmentionable diseases or becoming 50% involved in a pregnancy – do also remember that rubber vending machines are rare in most countries, and that the quality of local rubbers is often questionable in some countries) Your yellow fever certificate (needed to access some countries) Toiletries A see through plastic bag/folder with the following (all in minature containers): Toothpaste Liquid soap Shampoo Suntan lotion Moisturizer After shave Shaving cream Lip balm And just in case Why not scan your passport and save it to a virtual storage space online? You know, in the cloud. Plus what comes with you, the traveller Of course you will also necessarily wear something when travelling. Don’t forget this, it will make you carry more than you think. And these garments can be washed too. I typically wear the following. 1 boxer 1 T-shirt 1 pair of jeans with a belt 1 pair of socks 1 suit jacket with at least 2 inner pockets 1 jacket or windbreaker 1 pair of comfortable multipurpose shoes (for general use, including hiking) What is missing? Shoes typically take up a lot of space, to manage with few pairs is therefore essential. Skip the party shoes at home, but consider going for some black or dark day to day shoes. They can then also be used for a party without too much embarrasment. And should you be invited to that four day wedding, go buy some nice shoes or wear what you have. Those who invite you will understand that you are on a crazy trip without too much luggage. Chances are that you will stand out anyway. Leave the vast selection of shirts, suits or dresses at home. You’re on the road, you are not among the contestants in an international fashion contest. Relaxation There is not much more to say. Except for, do enjoy the ride! Just don’t forget that travelling is about discovering new places, meeting new people, relaxation and having fun. Those batteries need recharging for a reason, and your trip shouldn’t involve having to worry about how to transport your luggage from A to B via C, D, E and Z. You need more reasons for why to travel with hand luggage only? More on travel Travellers kiss better. Just another 20 travel tips. How to book cheap flight tickets.

I was recently interviewed by There She Goes, a magazine targets young women. It is on travel and fashion. I clearly was not interviewed for the latter. I’m more often suspected of conspiracies against it. But I know a couple of things about travel. You ought to try it. Deciding to travel will have concequences for your social life, though. You will not be able to afford all that tempting stuff. Neither those gadgets from California, Taipei or Seoul, nor the smallest of cars from India, Russia or Italy. Your flat will not be the flashiest or biggest one around. If you even can afford one. Your wardrobe will more likely than not consist of a wide range of strange garments. They may all be very fashionable where they were purchased, but mix them or wear them in the wrong country and you will be the cause of widespread whiplash. Not ever being at home when the party in town takes place will lower your social standing to a depth not yet explored by mankind. You will of course never be able to afford the “right” presents to your potential better half, as any month’s salary will be spent on impulse on that bargain flight to Dushanbe. You even purchased it before contemplating why there would be bargain flights to the Tajik capital. And cutting that romantic date short because your plane to a new territory leaves very early in the morning just kills your score rate. Your date will be here when you get back, you think. Or hope. Before you are consequently proved wrong. But when eventually settling down for someone, only a traveller will do. Just think about it. Would you like to hang out with someone who has the right handbag, shoes or pair of jeans? Or rather with someone who can share memories of something amazing, that money cannot buy. That sudden wedding invitation on two hours notice in Afghanistan, the bow and arrow competition in Bhutan or the boat ride down the river in the sunset on the Congo. Would you like to be with someone who needs to plan everything even when going on the smallest trip, only to freak out when nothing goes according to plan? Because whenever you make a plan it will get a name. It will forever be known as plan B. Such is the curse of travelling plans. Or rather be with someone who is calm and laid back about the trip, who knows how to behave when on unknown territory and who realises that everything will work out just fine when you get there? There is no need to stress, you won’t get killed. If the train doesn’t go today, a bus, taxi or donkey will. And when something breaks, it can be mended. Even in 2017. Just pack that sewing kit. And let’s speak about that long needed holiday. Would you like to travel with slaves of guidebooks that take you through a worn out tourist path through all the “must see” sights in town, follow tour guides with little red flags held high or keep visiting the same beach, the same hotel and the same pizzeria for the umptheenth time? Or would you rather like some stimulation, some excitement, some adventure? Travel guides promise to deliver it to you, but do rather the contrary. The travel guide writer passed through a town or an area in a few days or maybe a week. In 2010. To do what? To explore for you. To ruin the pleasure of exploring, to stop you from enjoying the satisfaction of discovering for yourself. Like you did when you were a kid, when you couldn’t even read but had to let curiosity help you find out the hard way. Will you really allow them to do so? Has curiosity left the building? Towns change, people change, cultures change, you change. Dare explore. How else will you find the hidden gems, the small secluded restaurants and the new bar in town? Will you share your life with someone who lacks curiosity? Or rather with that certain individual who wants to find out why, who dares talk to locals and who are not afraid of tasting snakes, worms and fried bush crickets? They have Heineken in 192 countries. That still shouldn’t stop you from trying Polar, Tusker, Primus or Kubuli. Travellers have learned that arrogance is their worst enemy and that being humble goes a long way. Only by acknowledging that people you meet are your equals can you understand and appreciate the world genuinely and truthfully. Travellers know how to appreciate home, however unimpressive it may be. They have been in dusty towns, on rocky roads and in salty waters. They know why and how to smile because of the little things in life. They know how lucky you are for even being able to travel. And they have seen the world from a different perspective, from an unusual angle. Travellers are a strange breed. They may not immediately come across as Aphrodite or Adonis with their hiking boots and the worn backpack. But I’d say they are worth searching for. People with stories to tell, images to share and problem solving skills usually are. They even kiss better too. Chances are they haven’t only kissed in French. More articles by Gunnar Garfors: Why 198 countries? My top 20 travel tips. How I find cheap flights. And of course, hand luggage only.

Well, the radio jingle isn’t quite like that, it is in Norwegian with a similar Shakesperean level of rhyme (of which I can neither take no credit nor accept any blame). I was asked to do my own travel competition on Nitimen, the most popular radio program on Norway’s biggest radio station NRK P1 which can boast a market share of between 55 and 60%. That is unprecedented (outside North Korea). Every Tuesday and Thursday I tell the listeners about a country, and they have to guess which one I have been describing through facts and personal experiences. I have so far quizzed listeners on countries like Colombia, Monaco and Lesotho. The concept has been made in cooperation with Nitimen’s four program leaders. It is virtually identical on Saturdays, but I then tell the listeners about a city. Such as Montevideo and Tallin. One winner every day gets a DAB digital radio as a prize. The slot has been on air for three weeks now, and is allegedly rather popular judging by the number of SMS responses. Norwegians must like to travel. I certainly do. The competition questions are obviously in Norwegian, but you can listen in live here – usually between 09:30 and 10:00 Norwegian time, or on demand here (available a few hours after the show is finished at 11:00).